


you feel like a holiday

by lilcrickee



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 08:01:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25649971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilcrickee/pseuds/lilcrickee
Summary: Mark wakes up on his 21st birthday to a bouquet of peonies and roses sitting on the bedside table and an empty bed. The sheets are still warm, though, so Johnny must not have gone far.
Relationships: Mark Lee/Suh Youngho | Johnny
Comments: 32
Kudos: 181





	you feel like a holiday

**Author's Note:**

> little happy birthday treat to my fav, mark lee!
> 
> unbeta'd, title from little mix's "holiday"
> 
> EDIT: this fic has a podfic available if you'd like to listen to it! it's read by the lovely twig, and can be found [here!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28410303)

Mark wakes up on his 21st birthday to a bouquet of peonies and roses sitting on the bedside table and an empty bed. The sheets are still warm, though, so Johnny must not have gone far.

He sits up, the bedsheets pooling around his waist. His skin is already freckling from being out in the sun, body taking on colour that he’s not normally allowed to have. For the first time in a long time, Mark doesn’t let it bother him. 

Across from the bed, on the media console under the TV, is a small bag. It’s red, the gold _Cartier_ glimmering in the soft morning light that filters in through the breezy curtains. Whatever’s inside, Mark will complain about how expensive it is, and Johnny will simply press a kiss to his temple and tell him he’s worth every penny. 

The thought makes Mark’s heart swell in his chest. 

Johnny is the only missing piece to the pretty picture painted inside their little beach house. Mark looks around before sliding out from between the sheets, determined to find his boyfriend. He tugs one of Johnny’s t-shirts on over his head and pads out onto the deck.

The beach house had been a gift from all the members: a vacation in Bali with a guest of his choosing. They'd presented it to him like he had a choice, like he could choose anyone to go with him, when they all knew who he'd pick. It's fine. No hard feelings from anyone.

Johnny's not out on the deck, but Mark takes a moment to pause and look out at the scene in front of him: pristine beach, sparkling blue ocean, bright sun glittering off the waves. Mark's never been the type of person to really enjoy vacations like this -- he likes work too much to ever think about just relaxing -- but he could get used to this. 

He hears the door of the beach house open, but makes no move to go back inside. Johnny can come find him. A moment later, strong arms wrap around his waist, a kiss pressed to the back of his head.

"Good morning," Mark says, trying his best to sound airy and haughty. 

"Happy birthday," Johnny replies.

"It would've been happier if you'd been in bed when I had gotten up," Mark says, turning around in Johnny's embrace and pouting.

The sun has done wonders for Johnny. They've only been here for a couple days, but already Mark can see where the tension has disappeared from the lines of his shoulders, the corners of his eyes. He looks happy and relaxed, and that in itself is maybe a better gift than any material object. Getting to see Johnny like this is all Mark really could've asked for.

"I went to get us breakfast," Johnny replies. "You know all the fruit gets picked over if you don't go right away."

The last two mornings they'd stumbled out of bed at 11:30 and discovered all that was left at their resort's buffet were cantaloupe and honeydew. Mark hadn't minded too much, but Johnny had seemed disgruntled. 

"I appreciate the sentiment," Mark says. He brings his arms up to loop around Johnny's neck, dragging their bodies impossibly closer, "but I really would've liked waking up to my boyfriend on my birthday."

Johnny grins at him, bright and amused. It lights up his whole face, and Mark thinks, deliriously, that he never wants Johnny to stop looking at him like that. Like he's something precious and special. Something to be treasured.

"Well, let me make it up to you then," Johnny says. He ducks his head, catching Mark in a searing kiss that makes his toes curl against the wood of the deck. It feels so nice to be able to kiss like this in the open: there's no one else around, this tiny stretch of beach theirs for the week. No cameras, no prying eyes. No members accidentally barging in on them. Just Mark and Johnny.

Johnny kisses him like he might not get another chance to. He sucks gently on Mark's lower lip, slips his tongue into Mark's mouth when Mark gasps from pleasure. The pressure is firm, but not overbearing. It's just -- nice. Luxurious.

When they pull apart, Mark can feel the stirrings of arousal in the pit of his belly. His dick is already starting to fill out, and he whines when Johnny steps away, taking away any chance Mark had to rut against him. "Wait here," Johnny says. "I'll bring everything outside."

Mark settles himself into the huge, covered beach chair. It's more like a bed, honestly: big enough to fit the two of them together with room to spare. No luxuries were spared at this resort, Mark muses.

Johnny comes back out balancing two plates of food and the gift bag. He hands both plates to Mark, puts the gift bag on the little side table, and then ducks back inside. When he returns, he's holding a metal pail with a bottle of champagne in it. Mark can't help but laugh.

"You know, you're legal to drink anywhere now," Johnny says. He puts the bucket on the deck and takes the plates from Mark, gesturing to the knife that Mark can now see is sticking out from under a pile of watermelon. 

"So that's something to celebrate?" Mark asks, plucking the knife and scooting off the lounger. 

"Duh," Johnny replies. He sets the plates on the cushion and tugs his phone out of his pocket. Mark rolls his eyes.

Johnny likes to document everything. Mark's seen their group chat, filled to the brim with pictures from their vacation so far. Endless shots of the water and the sunsets and the food. Mark's never been the type to squirrel away memories like that, and now it doesn't matter because he has Johnny to do it for him.

He picks up the bottle of champagne and contemplates where to aim. He doesn't want to damage the beach house, so he aims out over the railing of the deck. Hopefully they'll be able to find the cork later. Hopefully they remember to even go looking for it.

"I've never done this before," he admits, positioning the knife at the edge of the cork. "What if I mess it up?"

"The worst thing that will happen is that it doesn't come out and you manage to spray champagne all over yourself," Johnny says from behind the camera.

"That's not very reassuring."

"Just relax," Johnny says with a laugh. "I promise it'll be fine."

Mark believes him. Mark has always believed Johnny in that way: blind trust that Johnny can fix any problem that Mark has. It's always been that way, for as long as Mark can remember, but now he has the added bonus of being able to provide that same trust back to Johnny. Mark might not be as capable as Johnny, but he'll always try. For Johnny, of course he'd try.

He sizes up the bottle once more before slicing the knife up along the neck. For one split second it catches on the cork, and then the pressure from the bottle sends it flying out over the railing, champagne spilling out so suddenly that Mark drops the knife.

"Watch your feet!" Johnny exclaims, then adds, "And don't waste the champagne!''

Mark did not think he'd be shotgunning bubbly at nine in the morning on his birthday. 

Eventually, they manage to rescue the knife from the deck and get the champagne poured into actual glasses. Johnny puts the bucket with the bottle off to one side and clinks his glass against Mark's.

"Cheers," he says. "To you.”

Mark sips at his drink and then puts the flute off to the side. He moves the plate too so that he can cuddle in close to Johnny.

"Thank you," he says. "This is already the best birthday ever."

He feels Johnny drop a fond kiss on the top of his head. "Guess we'll have to work extra hard on making next year's even better," he says.

Mark likes the idea of that, of more birthdays spent with Johnny in the future. Not every one has to be like this: them secluded and away on their own private getaway. Mark wouldn't mind spending time with the members too. Maybe they'd go out for barbeque, even in the hot August heat. Maybe they could all go to the beach. Or maybe they'd just stay home.

In a couple years, anyway, they won't have many occasions to be together, all nine of them. Mark's not unaware of what the coming years hold for the team he holds most dear to his heart.

They sit in silence as the sun slices its way through the clear Bali skies. Johnny sips idly at his champagne while Mark leaves his on the side table. The amount he'd chugged from the bottle is already starting to warm him, making everything feel just on the right side of pleasant and fuzzy. 

"Oh, I got you a gift," Johnny says, putting his empty flute down and reaching for the gift bag. Mark straightens up, taking the bag when it's offered and peering at it cautiously. 

"This must have been expensive," he says, a parody of the conversation he'd played out in his head earlier.

"Well, you're worth it," Johnny replies. Almost word for word. Mark grins.

The box inside the bag is bigger than Mark expected, though he’s not sure what he would’ve done if it had been smaller and more obviously … ring-sized. He cracks the lid open and examines the silver bangle inside. Curiously, there’s a screwdriver with it.

“Thanks,” he says, pulling the screwdriver out of the box. “I love getting hand tools for my birthday.”

Johnny rolls his eyes and tugs the bracelet out of the box. “It’s for the bracelet,” he says.

“What?” Mark exclaims. “That doesn’t even make sense.”

“Mark, Cartier is famous for these bracelets,” Johnny says. He snags the screwdriver from Mark’s fingers and fits it into the tiniest screw Mark’s ever seen. On a bracelet, no less.

“Uh, you know I can’t tell a Rolex from a Timex, dude. I don’t know why you’d think I have any sort of sense about luxury anything.”

“I can’t believe I fell in love with you,” Johnny mutters, but there’s no heat to it, just a fond smile. He finally gets the bracelet open, two halves that he fits around Mark’s wrist before slipping the screws in and tightening it again. Mark holds it in place until Johnny’s got it all back together again.

“Wait,” Mark says, watching. “What about when I want to take it off?”

“The point is that you don’t,” Johnny replies

“What? Even when I shower?”

“Even when you shower,” Johnny replies.

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Mark complains as Johnny releases his wrist. He examines the bracelet. “Why would they make a bracelet that’s not meant to come off? It’ll get damaged.”

Johnny blows out an exasperated breath. “Mark,” he says. “It’s supposed to represent an eternal love or whatever, because it’s locked. The bracelet won’t come off, my love for you will never die, et cetera.”

Mark blinks. The apples of Johnny’s cheeks have turned an amusing shade of pink. He never gets embarrassed about these kinds of things, and it gives Mark a touch of satisfaction to see Johnny so flustered. 

“Oh,” he says, glancing back down at the bracelet and tracing over the white gold. “Oh. That’s -- that’s really thoughtful, hyung.”

Johnny clears his throat and swallows another mouthful of champagne. “I -- well. You know. Like, I really love you, dude.”

Mark laughs. “Very romantic,” he says, “but I love you, too.”

It feels like it should be more monumental that Mark is only 21 and has a bracelet on his wrist that he now knows is a substitute for a ring on his finger, but to Mark it only feels -- comforting. Like a lighthouse beacon in the middle of a tumultuous ocean. 

The real ocean in front of them is calm, like a reflection of Mark’s heart. When they go back to Korea he has songs to record and choreography to perfect for an NCT Dream comeback he never thought he’d be granted. He and Johnny have to prepare another episode of Sunny Side Up. The world will keep turning, but for now, he has Johnny and a bottle of champagne and all the nice fruit from the buffet table that Johnny woke up extra early to snag for them.

“Wait,” Mark says, sitting up from where he’d slumped back against Johnny’s chest. “Does that mean you’re expecting a bracelet for your birthday, too?”

Johnny’s got his head tipped back against the pillows along the back of the chair. “Better start saving up, Markie,” he says. “That thing wasn’t cheap.”

“Hyung,” Mark whines, but the noise is swallowed up when Johnny drags him into a kiss. 

When they pull apart, Mark is breathless and a little dizzy. He can’t tell if it’s because of the champagne or the kiss. Maybe both.

“It’s okay,” Johnny says against his lips, along his cheek as he trails kisses across Mark’s face. “I don’t need a bracelet to know how you feel about me.”

“I love you,” Mark gasps out. That thread of arousal from earlier is back, and Mark scrambles into Johnny’s lap. The bracelet knocks gently against Johnny’s shoulder.

Johnny laughs, kisses Mark’s throat and worries the skin there until Mark is sure there’s a bruise blooming against his Adam’s apple. It’s fine. They have five days before they have to head home. The mark will fade by then.

“I love you too, baby. Happy birthday.”

**Author's Note:**

> you can find me at [twitter](http://twitter.com/monstplaza) and [cc](http://curiouscat.me/monstplaza)


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